Mediocrity is a sin not unlike the other sins we battle as Christians. And mediocrity, like all sins, begins in our hearts (Jas. 1:14). Mediocrity is one of those sins that we can’t blame on others. It starts with the sin of pride deep within us that spills over to indifference or selfishness and then reveals itself in mediocrity. Overall, it is a lack of faith in God. It is a lack of rightly understanding and then believing and then being overwhelmed by the greatness of our God. It is the failure to be amazed by God’s excellence. Simply put, less-than-excellent efforts are a result of not admiring a nothing-but-excellent God.

Randy Smith

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats, Vegetables	Jewish	Beef, Jewish, Low fat, Rosh hashan, Vegetables	6	servings

INGREDIENTS

1	tb	Vegetable oil; OR chicken fat
2	lb	Beef stew meat; OR boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-1/2" cube
2	lg	Onions; chopped
5	lg	Carrots; peeled and, cut into 1" chunks
1/2	ts	Salt
3	c	Water; up to 4 cups
2	lg	Potatoes
2		Sweet potatoes; OR yams
1/4	c	Honey; up to 1/3 cup
1/2	ts	Ground cinnamon
1	pn	Pepper
1/2	lb	Pitted prunes; dry
1	tb	All-purpose flour; (optional)
1	tb	Chopped parsley; (optional)
		Hot water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy casserole over medium heat. Add
meat and brown well on all sides; if necessary brown meat in batches
to avoid crowding.
2. Remove meat from pan and add onions and saute until browned.
3. Return meat to pan and add carrots, salt, and enough water to just
cover. Bring to a boil, skimming occasionally, then cover and simmer
over low heat, skimming once or twice, for 1 hour.
4. Peel both types of potatoes and cut in large dice. After meat and
carrots have cooked 1 hour, add potatoes, sweet potatoes, honey,
cinnamon, and pepper to pan and mix gently. Push vegetables into
liquid and bring to a boil. Partly cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, soak prunes in enough hot water to cover for about 30
minutes.
5. Gently stir stew once. Remove prunes from their liquid, reserving
liquid if later thickening the stew, and add prunes to pan. Uncover
and simmer 30 minutes longer or until meat is very tender. Shake pan
occasionally to prevent sticking but avoid stirring so as not to
break up ingredients.
6. The stew should be moist but not soupy. If allowed to stand for 1
hour or more before being served, it will absorb enough of the excess
liquid. If too much liquid remains, bake uncovered in a 350 F oven
for 15 to 30 minutes. Alternatively, stir flour with 2 tablespoons
prune liquid in a bowl, gradually stir in about 1 cup of meat cooking
liquid, and return mixture to pan; simmer about 5 minutes.
(Stew can be made 1 day ahead and reheated gently in a covered pan
over low heat or in a 300 F oven.)
Serve from a deep serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
Serves 4 to 6
NOTES : This recipe is part of a menu for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish
New Year. Entered to MasterCook by Ellen Pickett <ellen@qnetix.ca>
1999-May-14. According to MasterCook nutritional analysis, per
serving:
645.3    Cal
16.0 g  fat
90.9 g  carbohydrate
9.8 g  fiber 22.1% calories from fat
Recipe by: Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook, p. 70-71
Posted to EAT-LF Digest by "Ellen Pickett" <ellen@qnetix.ca> on Sep 7,
1999, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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